The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-25
Abortion il Cows.

There are some things which cannot be
accounted for by reason, although there is
undoubtedly reason for them. Here is an
occount of the way French farmer cured
obo,tion in COWS, and it is probable that it
will be received by most farmers with
smile of incredulity. 1t is found in the
London Lire Stock journal and is as fol-
lows:
Some eighteen months since letter APP
reared in the Journal d'.Ag1fculture Pro-
tioue of France from a dairy farmer who
complained Of the ravages of abortion among
his cows. He stated that the health of his
cattle appeared to be perfect, that they were
giving an average of 1900 litres per head,
their food was perfect and abundantln guam
titv. the stables were well 9rated, cOntin-
uallv lime-washed and every care in their
management was vigorously observed He
had consulted numbers of veterinary sur
eeons who found that the conditions of by
ptiene were properly observed, and they could
give no reason for the epidemic i'll question.
In the wear 1S79-S0 from thirty fourteen
aborted In 1851 there were six abortions
among forty COWS. In 1SS1-S2 four
abortions, and in 1SS2-S3 there were
nine cases of abortion i'll six weeks.
During the season in which the let
fer was written, after the first cases had oc-
Cured. and toward the 18th of July, the
COWS were put morning and evening on the
pastures in the hope that the change of air
would arrest the complaint, but although
everything was done that human ingenuity
nd bnGS
treated as if they were infected places the
nnisfortunes continued. The COWS were
lodged i'll two stables, about go yards apart
and without any communication between
them. 1t is a singular fact that the evil al
WAYS commenced in the same stable, and
day or two afterward was followed by its
appearance in a second stable. The cows
usually aborted between five and eight
months, sometimes producing living calves,
The loss was consequently considerable, for
it was not only the loss OF the calf but the
COWS frequently became barren and were
difficult to fatten.
Tn writer appealed TO the farmers of
France for advice and received a large num-
Der of letters Among them were two from
different parts of the country, in which he
Il was recommended to introduce billy goat
into the stables, and, struck by the coinci-
dence in the experience Of the writers, he
determined to try the remedy. The result
i is now published. One goat was first of all
purchased and placed in one stable, and in
duecourse the epidemic entirely disappeared,
Il although itstill continued in the other stable.
Il A second goat was then purchased and,
strange to say, there have been no cases of
n abortion since. The writer says he only
speaks of an experience of nineteen months
and that scientific men will probably smile
at, or ridicule, the course he adopted but
the fact remains that since the introduction
of the goats there has been no more loss
from abortion upon the farm. He cites a
case of drayman in large way of bust
ness at Bordeaux who cured disastrous
epidemic of collie, which killed several of
his horses, by the introduction of goat into
n his stables
The use of the goat among stock is, of
course, not new to English breeders; but
there are many who ignore the idea alto
IA gether, and are as much inclined to ridicule
n 1t as the men Of science referred to above.
These particulars, however, are given for
what they are worth